Dancing slipper



Dec. 8, 1925 E. HOPKINS DANCING SLIPPER Filed 001'.. 3, 1919 Millau/1110.711114 Patented Disc. 8, 1925. n

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN HOPKINS, OF NEW `YORK, N. Y.

DANCING SLIPPER.

Application led October 3, 1919. Serial No. 328,174.

To all whom t may concern.' I. limit myself to the particular devices Y B'e it known that I, EDWIN Horkrivs, a shown, although I believe them to be especitizen of New `York, residing in New York, cially suited to the ends to be attained by in the county of New York and State of my invention. f 5 N ew York, have invented certain new and In the accompanying drawings, forming a useful Improvements in Dancing Slippers, part hereof, and in which the same refer- 5" 'ofwhich the following is a specilieation. ence letters and numerals indicate the same The main purpose of my invention is to or corresponding parts: provide a means whereby a toe dancer may Fig. I is anQ end elevation of the toe end 10 pirouette with greater ease and speed than of the slipper.

heretofore. Fig'. 2 is a transverse cross section on the 60 The main prii'iciple of the invention is to line l of Fig. 3, except that the cross seclit the dancing slipper with a rotatable lixtion of the main sole is taken on line 2. The ture, 'adapted to remain at resten the floor View is looking towards the toe from the while the dancer gyrates with the fixture as heel. a pivot. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of es In the preferred form of my invention a the toe end of the slipper on line 3 3 of ball bearing unit is mounted on the toe Fig. 2 and line -l of Fig. 4. end fof the insole inside the toe. The ball Fig. lis a sectional plan of the toe end 20 bearing unit carries a short shaft or pin of the slipper on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, except protruding through an aperture in the toe. that the ball bearing unit and shaft is not 7e The external end of the shaft is enlarged to shown in section. provide a resting surface which will not The drawings show a slipper of the cussink into the floor. The axis of the shaft tomar-y construction of toe dancing slippers, is parallel to the bottom of the main sole except for the introduction of the ball bearof the slipper, and parallel to the toe and ing unit and its communicating parts as con- 75 heel line of the slipper. Thus when the templated in my invention. toe dancer rises on the toe of one slipper, The leather outer sole 6 is bevelled inher weight is supported on the flared end of wardly and upwardly and the cloth upper the shaft, whose axis then becomes vertical. 7 is sewed to the beveled surface. The toe rlhe dancer thereupon gyrates rapidly from is a mass of layers of cloth which' terminate so momentum or otherwise, as the end of the one by one until there are but three at the shaft remains in contact with the floor and upper edge 8 of the upper 7 of the slipper. does not rotate thereon, the shaft and ball The insole 9 is a piece of hard, stiff red fibre bearing unit serving as a pivot of rotation. board curved at l0 to accommodate the In carrying out my invention I find it gathered layers of cloth, and together with is generally desirable to employ the following the mass of layers of cloth in the toe serves apparatus, but it is to be understood in carto support the toes of the dancer. In addirying out the objects of the invention, less tion, when in use, though not illustrated in 410 than all of the different means herein dethe drawings, the interior of the toe is scribed may be employed for some uses, or stuifed with loose cotton to furtherprotect eo parts only may be employed, or other inechthe dancers toes. Between the fibre insole anisms or manufactures similar may be suband the leather' main sole is a layer 'of brown stituted, and while the preferred forms enr cardboard il.

bodying my invention are shown,jit iste be In the process of manufacture the insole understood that many of the structural deis last inserted in the slipper and is tacked tails inayj"'ee varied and many changes in in place with two or th1ee-brao`ls.` The outer .details resorted to ,without departinf' from side of the upper is usually of silkeletli;

the scope. 1d spirit of my inventio `nor do In the forni of my invention shown-I provide a receptacle 12, preferably of composition aluminum metal of exceptional strength, which straddles the toe end 13 of the insole 9 with prongs lll and 15, the receptacle thus being attached to the insole by means of rivets 1G, 17, 18 and 19.

An aperture is cut in the toe and a channeled washer or guard 20 serves to hold the layers of cloth in place, by riveting or compression, or the guard may be two Washers riveted together through the cloth.

A ball bearing unit 21 is forced With a driving t into the receptacle, so that the external race 22 of the unit becomes integral with the receptacle, While the internal cone or race is free to turn. The insole with the Vreceptacle and ball bearing unit is then placed in the slipper, and rivet 23 ser-ves to hold the mass of cloth more firmly to the insole and prongs 14 and 15 of the receptacle.

Pivot 2li, comprising a head or enlarged shaft end 25 and shaft or shank 26 is then forced With a driving fit into the bore of the internal racc of the ball bearing unit, up to the shoulder on shank 26. ,Pivot 24 and the internal race are thus made integral and rotate together. Exterior surface 27 of head 25 of the pivot 24C is corrugated as seen in Fig. 1 to enable it vto grip the Hoor. It may be fitted With rubber, or prongs or other means to prevent its turning on the floor.

then the dancer rises on the toe of the slipper and shank 26 assumes a vertical position head 25 Will rest on the floor and r remain stationary as regards rotation. The

dancer then pirouettes or gyrates with pivot 24 and the internal race as a base for the slipper, the receptacle and external race rotating as a unit thereon. rlhe momentum of the dancer Will carry her around much more rapidly and for a much greater number of rotations than is vpossible when she pirouettes on the silk toe of the slipper, Without the pivot as provided by my invention.

As noted Fig. #l is in section except for the ball bearing unit; the receptacle and channel Washer being 4shown in section. The channel on the inside has a shoulder to keep it free of contact with the pivot.

The pivot on the exterior is preferable painted or otherwise colored 'the same color as the silk exterior upper.

Itis possible in my invention, 'but not f preferable, to dispense With the ball bearing and cause the pivotto rotate in a simple mechanical bearinfr.

Although the pivot is shown parallel to the sole and yfront yand lrear'axis fof the lslipper, it may be placed atvany desired or useful angle. The 'pivot may be also placed in the heel at right angles to the "bottoni of the sole and "te the 4toe and heel axis of the slipfei, and thus the'rdancer turn-on herz elv-ith greatrease andrapiltythan at present, rendering possible the production of new effects not now possible both of a terpsichorical and dramatical nature.

The slipper may be fitted With pivots both at toe and heel if desired, Within this 7 invention.

Customarily a pair of toe dancing slip-v pers are Worn out Within a Week or ten days of performances. |lhe abrasion at the toe rapidly Wears the silk away. The substitution of the pivot in this invention Will have the advantage of making the slippers much more durable.

lWhat I claim is:

1. a toe dancing slipper, a pivot adapted to remain at rest upon the floor, and means mounted for rotation upon said pivot including a ball bearing aflixed to the slipper at the toe end thereof and arranged to receive said pivot in such a manner that the axis of the pivot is disposed in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the slipper and 4with the toe and heel axis thereof.

2. ln a toe dancing slipper having an in sole, a receptacle or holder attached to the toe end of the insole adapted to contain a ball bearing in such position that its axis of rotation is substantially parallel to the bottom of the slipper and With the toe and heel axis thereof, and a pivot mounted in said bearing and having a portion extending outside of the slipper.

3. ln a toe dancing slipper having an intacle affixed to said insole and having its axis of rotation parallel to the toe and heel axis of the slipper, the external race of said ball bearing being fast in said receptacle and the internal race being free to rotate, l

and a pivot carried by said internal race and adapted for contact With the floor.

ln a toe dancing slipper, a bearing mounted in the toe end thereof having its axis of rotation substantially parallel with the bottom of the slipper and with the toc and heel axis thereof, said bearing including a free member, and a pivot carried by the free member of said bearing having a flared portion for contact with the floor.

ln a toe dancing slipper, a ball bear ing placed inside 'the slipper at the toe end thereof, and a pivot mounted in said bear ing and adapted for contact with the floor I 1 When the wearer of the slipper supports herself on the toes of her foot Within thev slipper.

6. ln va toe dancing slipper having an insole, a ball bearing placed inside the slipper at the toe end thereof and affixed vvto the toe lend of `the insole, and a pivot mounted in said 'bearing and adapted for 'conta-ct with fthe floor when the wearer of the slipv per supports herself` en the tees of her-foot ivitlnthe slipper.

l '1' sole, a ball bearing unit carried 1n a recep- "E",

CTI

7. A toe dancing slipper' having an insole and a toe portion which is provided With an aperture, a receptacle afiXecl to the insole of the slipper, a ball bearing,` unit carried by said receptacle and having its external race fast therewith, the internal race of said ball bearing unit being free to rotate, and a pivot adapted for Contact with the floor having its shank portion passing through the aperture in the toe portion of the slipper and fast in the internal race of the ball bearing unit, the axis of said pivot being substantially parallel to the bottom of the slipper and. to the toe and heel axis thereof.

EDWIN HOPKINS. 

